To Schedule an Appointment, Call Us Toll Free at 1.877.873.8208 or Email Us for a Prompt Response.
The United States has two nationwide programs for people with disabilities—Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Both of these programs have the same disability requirements—you must have a condition that keeps you from working that is expected to last at least a year or until you die, whichever one occurs first. However, unlike SSI, benefits for SSDI are based on your prior work history, not your existing assets.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has a list of qualifying disabilities, but disabilities that are not on the list may qualify if they are sufficient to keep a person from gainful employment. The SSA uses a financial threshold to determine whether employment is “gainful,” and that guideline is subject to change. A Marietta Social Security Disability Insurance lawyer can provide information on the updated amounts and guide your eligibility for SSDI.
The SSA taxes workers’ paychecks and that money is then used for a few different insurance and benefits programs, including SSDI. Workers do not have the choice to opt out of these contributions, which is why it is a form of forced insurance.
Even though all workers pay into Social Security through FICA withholding, not everyone qualifies for SSDI if they develop a disability. Instead, the SSA uses work credits to determine if someone qualifies. Workers earn work credits based on their income and can earn up to four work credits each year. They do not have to be full-time workers to earn work credits, as each credit is equivalent to a specific dollar amount in earnings. Even part-time minimum-wage workers should be able to earn four work credits per year. Seasonal workers or people who only work part of the year may earn less than the entire four available credits each year. In addition, some of the credits have to be recent, indicating that the person was not taking a permanent or long-term break from the workforce at the time of the disability.
A person in Marietta, OH should call an SSDI attorney if they have trouble proving their eligibility through work credits. A law firm can also assist in analyzing an SSDI claim denial, and push for an appeal.
The SSA does not have a single definition of a disability, other than it must be a condition that prevents someone from engaging in substantially gainful activity (SGA) for at least a year. The SSDI even waives the year-long requirement if the condition is terminal and the person is expected to die within the year. There are 14 official categories of conditions that can trigger disability coverage:
Many people think of disabilities strictly in terms of physical disabilities. However, the SSA recognizes mental disabilities as one of their categories, and the subcategories include multiple types of mental illnesses in addition to neurocognitive disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, and intellectual disorders. A person in Marietta could receive SSDI benefit for mental conditions such as:
Like physical disabilities, these disorders have to be severe enough to prevent SGA for at least a year. To make that determination, the SSA may engage in functionality testing.
Qualifying for disability payments can be a frustrating process. The SSA denies many initial applications, even if the person should qualify. Save yourself the stress of the application process or dealing with appeals and get the help of a Marietta Social Security Disability Insurance lawyer. We are the largest female-founded law firm in the country and are committed to helping anyone and everyone get the benefits they deserve – whether you live in Marietta or elsewhere in Ohio! Call us for a free consultation.
To Schedule an Appointment, Call Us Toll Free at 1.877.873.8208 or Email Us for a Prompt Response.
Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law